U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico

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U.S. Route 66

NM 118; NM 122; NM 124; NM 333; I-40 Bus.

West end:

US 66 towards Holbrook, AZ

Major
junctions:

US 85 in Albuquerque

US 54 in Tucumcari

East end:

I-40 Bus./US 66 towards Adrian, TX

State Roads in New Mexico
< NM 117	NM 118	NM 119 >
< NM 121	NM 122 NM 124	NM 125 >
< NM 330	NM 333	NM 337 >

The historic U.S. Route 66 ran east-west across the central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, along the path now taken by Interstate 40. However, until 1937, it took a longer route via Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, now roughly NM 6, I-25, and US 84. Large portions of the old road parallel to I-40 have been designated State Road 118 (NM 118), State Road 122 (NM 122), State Road 124 (NM 124), State Road 333 (NM 333), three separate loops of Interstate 40 Business, and state-maintained frontage roads.

[edit] History

Route 66 in New Mexico was marked over portions of two auto trails - the National Old Trails Road from Arizona via Albuquerque and Santa Fe to just shy of Las Vegas, and one of the main routes of the Ozark Trails network from that point into Texas.^[1] The state had taken over maintenance of these roads under several numbers: State Road 6 from Arizona to Los Lunas, part of State Road 1 through Albuquerque and Santa Fe to near Las Vegas, State Road 56 to Santa Rosa, the short State Road 104 to Cuervo, and part of State Road 3 to Texas. While NM 56 and NM 104 were completely absorbed by US 66, NM 6 was reassigned to a route splitting from US 66 (old NM 6) at Laguna and heading straight east through Albuquerque, Moriarty, and Palma to US 66 at Santa Rosa. Except between Albuquerque and Moriarty, where it formed part of U.S. Route 470, this was an unimproved road.^[2]^[3]^[4]

This new NM 6 was approved as a future realignment of Route 66 by 1932, and in 1933 a new bridge over the Rio Puerco opened. Once paving was completed in 1937, with AASHO approval given on September 26, 1937,^[5] Route 66 was moved to this shorter route, known as the Laguna Cut-off west of Albuquerque and the Santa Rosa Cut-off east of Albuquerque.^[6] The bypassed roads became NM 6 once again to the west and part of US 84 to the east.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Route description

From the Arizona state line to the Grants area is mountainous, and US 66 meanders around I-40. It also passes through some Indian reservations. At Laguna, New Mexico is the Laguna Indian Pueblo.

At Mesita, the highway originally followed what is now NM 6 to east of I-25 at Los Lunas. It passed through Albuquerque from south to north along Fourth Street. The highway is now replaced with I-25 through Santa Fe to, almost, Las Vegas (Historic 66 turns south before reaching Las Vegas), though several old sections exist which are barely (if at all) driveable. From South of Las Vegas back to I-40, the road has been replaced with US 84.

The later alignment (and more popular) continued straight west to Albuquerque, becoming Central Avenue through the city. East of Albuquerque, US 66 is now NM 333 all the way to Moriarty. Interstate 40 east of Moriarty to Santa Rosa was built by adding a second set of lanes to US 66. East of Santa Rosa, US 66 is now largely frontage roads for I-40 or business loops for Santa Rosa and Tucumcari. At San Jon, the original alignment (now gravel) continues to the Texas state line at Glenrio. A later alignment is the north frontage road for I-40.